She arrived last week (I think she's from China). Bought her a new rack, which I like a lot. Sneaked away from the wife and kids the other night and rode her hard for a few hours, got pretty dirty but had a lot of fun. She's already dumped me once.

Yes, it's a new mountain bike. I'll post a picture when I get a chance.

I did most of my mountain biking on the West Coast, and love Giant bikes, so it is a 2013 Giant Anthem X1 29er. Beautiful bike. I need to knock the rust off my abilities to really get the most out of it.

I tried a nasty downhill the other day, about 40 to 50 yards long and between 45 and 50 degrees of slope - roots, rocks, ruts, and leaves. I wiped out about 2/3 the way down. Uncertain what happened, but my guess is that I hit a root wrong, went into a rut, and struck the pedals. At least I can still bail and roll out well.

She arrived last week (I think she's from China). Bought her a new rack, which I like a lot. Sneaked away from the wife and kids the other night and rode her hard for a few hours, got pretty dirty but had a lot of fun. She's already dumped me once.

Yes, it's a new mountain bike. I'll post a picture when I get a chance.

First I went and then and then finally when I read this. That was a smile I needed this morning: been a hard week so far.

Logged

Questions fell but no one stopped to listenThat eternity was just a dawn awayAnd the rest was sure to comeLeaves, caught in winter's ice

If it's true what they say, that GOD created us in His image, then why should we not love creating, and why should we not continue to do so, as carefully and ethically as we can, on whatever scale we're capable of?

The choice is simple; refuse to create, and refuse to grow, or build, with care and love.

I've got one (or more - just one obviously broken in the x-ray) broken ribs from a crash about 3 weeks ago, but have been back on the trails since then and rode with my normal group last Wednesday. I found that I cannot deal riding with the "C" (beginner) group.

I found some YouTubes showing a few of the trails we ride at White Clay Creek. What one guy calls Snow Goose cut-off is also called Mountain Goat trail:

Great videos! Reminds me of riding my bike (now in the garage and dusty) I've owned nearly 30 years. Great. I've got to get my act together and get mine out. It's not that long since I road it here in the Shark River Hills.

Great videos! Reminds me of riding my bike (now in the garage and dusty) I've owned nearly 30 years. Great. I've got to get my act together and get mine out. It's not that long since I road it here in the Shark River Hills.

I've heard that Monmouth has some nice singletrack trails. Realizing that I am so close to two different parks with about 100 miles of trails in them (White Clay and Fair Hill) is what got me back into it hardcore. There is a 6-8pm ride tonight with the Trailspinners at White Clay that I'll be at unless it rains this afternoon and makes the trails too wet. Most of that is to avoid damaging the trails - riding wet trails tears them up.